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Police Questioning Possible Shooter of 9-year-old, Mom Says

 Tynisha Hilliard, right, talks to the media outside Comer Children's Hospital, where her 9-year-old son, Tykeece, was being treated for a gunshot wound.
Tynisha Hilliard, right, talks to the media outside Comer Children's Hospital, where her 9-year-old son, Tykeece, was being treated for a gunshot wound.
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DNAinfo/Erica Demarest

CHICAGO — Chicago police have told the mother of a 9-year-old boy who was shot in the chest they are questioning a suspect, she said Saturday.

Tynisha Hilliard told DNAinfo.com Chicago police have a suspect in custody, but police could not confirm her claim or other media reports.

Nine-year-old Tykeece Hilliard was shot in the chest Wednesday evening in Woodlawn as his mother drove him and his siblings home from dinner. Police said a man in the car was targeted for his gang ties.

Police said the man in the car was Hilliard's boyfriend, but she said he is a platonic friend.

A police source said the man is a known gang member and was the target in the shooting, not Hilliard's young son. The shooter either spotted him or recognized the car they were driving in, police said.

"Anybody who can open fire when six kids are in the car is a heartless, cruel person," Hilliard, 28, said Thursday outside Comer Children's Hospital, where Tykeece was recovering. "I don't have no remorse for him. I just want justice."

Tykeece was in critical condition, but has stabilized. Hilliard said doctors expect him to recover.

"He's fine. He's stable. Everything is moving along," Hilliard said Thursday. But, "He's going to be here for a while."